Sign anchorage attachment



R. E. OBERLIN SIGN ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENT Oct. 24, 1939.

Filed April 22, 1958 Mil. @22 2 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGN ANCHORAGE ATTACHMENT Ralph E. Oberlin, Massillon, Ohio Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,660

2 Claims. (Cl. 40-128) This invention relates to that type of signs which are secured or anchored in place by means of cords, ropes, tapes or equivalent flexible elements.

More specifically, the invention concerns cloth, fiber or the like flexible signs having a pair of flexible anchoring elements at one or both sides thereof, and a prime object is to provide a means coacting with the pairs of anchoring elements to prevent tearing or spreading thereof from or relative to the sign as well as minimize the danger of ripping or tearing of the body of the sign itself.

It is further an aim to provide such'a means in the form of a relatively rigid member, for instance a metallic wire, having eyelets at opposite ends engaged by the anchoring elements, which eyelets are closed, as by welding, against danger of opening through movement or tension of the anchoring elements.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, fragmentarily showing a sign in connection with which the invention is practiced, and I Figure 2 is a perspective view 01' the rod or attachment provided in accordance with the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like or cor- 1 responding parts in all views, l designates the body of a sign, a fragment or right hand portion only of which is shown, and the remainder or left hand portion of which is a duplicate of the part illustrated. This body is conventional being of textile fabric, fiber or otherwise flexible.

As usual, flexible anchor elements or members ll extend from each corner of the sign, being of cord, rope, tape or the like.

Such a conventional si n is frequently rather large and when anchored in place by tying the anchor elements II to adjacent parts, the sign is subject to the wind, and the anchors ll have to diverge outwardly to some extent with a view to maintaining the body taut, and consequently there is great danger of the sign body ripping or tearing and the anchor members unduly pulling on the sign body, loosening and breaking, and the sign body being blown out in and assuming a distorted shape in which it cannot be read.

The present invention aims to overcome the difliculties mentioned and to this end, I provide an attachment l2. This attachment is in the form of a relatively rigid body, for instance a metallic Wire of any desired gauge and length. 5 At each end, the attachment or rod I2 has a closed eyelet l3.

As shown in Figure 1, the attachment l2 when in use is vertically disposed and the adjacent flexible anchoring elements ll pass through the eyelets 13. The attachment is preferably disposed relatively close to the body and it functions to prevent spreading of the elements H and undue strain on their connections with the sign body, holding the sign spread and also preventing ripl5 ping or tearing of the sign body through any strain or undue tension which may be exerted on the elements I I.

As shown at 14, those portions of the elements ll adjacent the eyelets l3 are preferably looped or tied one or more times whereby the attachment will remain in a predetermined or fixed position.

To avoid danger of the elements I I under strain or undue tension, opening the eyelets l3, the ends of the wire or rod l2 which are bent or looped to provide the eyelets, are secured to the remainder thereof by welds as at l5, thus making the attachment an integral structure with the closed eyelets.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a sign having a pair of flexible anchoring elements extending one from substantially each corner at one dimension of the sign and disposed at a distance apart to normally maintain the sign flat at said dimension, a relatively rigid rod bridging and connecting said anchoring elements relatively close to the sign.

2. In combination with a sign having a pair of flexible anchoring elements extending one from substantially each corner at one dimension of the sign and disposed at a distance apart sufficient to normally maintain the sign flat at said dimension,

a relatively rigid rod bridging said anchoring elements having eyelets through which the anchoring elements pass, and means on the flexible anchoring elements positioning the rod in spaced relation to the sign.

RALPH E. OBERLIN. 

